Fire-bucket low-water alarm



(No Model.)

J. NOLAN.

FIRE BUCKET LOW WATER ALARM.

N0. 384,212. Patented June 5, 1888.

WITNESSES INVENTOR.

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a W M 7 t I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN NOLAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC ALARM COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEIV JERSEY.

FIRE-BUCKET LOW-WATER ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 384,212, dated June 5, 1888.

Application filed October 28, 1887.

T0 ttZZ whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, JOHN NOLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Bucket Low-\Vater Alarms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a modification thereof. Fig. 3 isalike view of another modification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient device for sounding an alarm upon the evaporation of the water, or a portion thereof, contained in fire-buckets, in order to notify the attendant of such evaporation, that he may immediately refill the buckets.

The invention relates, primarily, to a firebucket low'water alarm, which consists in the combination, with the water-containing firebucket, of a disk or body adapted to float upon the water in said bucket and to fall therewith upon the evaporation of the water, and thereby actuate a suitable alarm or sounder connected with said disk or body, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The invention consists, also, in the combination, with the water-containing tire-bucket, of a disk or body adapted to float upon the water in said bucket-,a contact-piece connected with said disk or body and adapted to complete an electric circuit upon the fall of said body when the water evaporates within said bucket, whereby an alarm-bell connected with said circuit will be set in operation, and thus notify the attendant of such evaporation.

The invention consists, also, in various details of construction, which will be hereinafter fully explained, and be duly claimed.

Referring to the annexed drawings, A represents an ordinary fire-bucket suspended by the bail a from a hook, I), projecting from the wall B, from which wall below said hook there also projects a bar, C, provided with a hole, 0', therein, in line, preferably, with the center of the bucket Said bar C and hook b may be through the hole 0 is a vertical rod, 1), which Serial No. 253,583. (No model.)

bears at its lower end a light disk or body,E, adapted to float upon the water F, contained within said bucket. To the upper end of this rod D is secured a contactpiece, d, of copper or other suitable electric conductor. \Vhen the rod D is composed of electric conducting material, said piece (1 is insulated therefrom by an interposed rubber ring or otherwise. On each side of the hole 0, directly in line vertically with the piece d, is a stud, c, to which is attached the end of the electric-circuit wires G, with which there is connected at some suitable point an electric bell, H.

Vhen the bar C is of material that is a good electric conductor,I insulate the studs 0 there from by interposing between said studs and the bar C a piece of rubber, 0

From the abovedescribed construction it will be obvious that when the bucket Ais full of water, or nearly so, the circuit H will be broken between the studs 0', the contactpiece (2 being some distance above the same, as shown; but when the water evaporates a cer tain distance-say until the bucket is about two-thirds fullthe float E, falling with the water, will cause the contactpiece d to come into contact with the studs 0', and thus com plete the electric circuit, whereupon the bell C, Fig. 2, will sound an alarm, and thus notify the attendant of such evaporation.

In order that the contact-piece cl may be so adjusted on the rod D that it (said piece) will complete the circuit when a predetermined quantity of waterhas evaporated, I sometimes provide said piece cl with a boss, (P, in which works a screw, (2 adapted to be screwed up against the rod D, and thus clamp said piece at any point desired. (See Fig. 2.) This screw is composed of vulcanite or other suitable non-conduct-ing material when the boss d" is a good electric conductor.

As a ready means to adjust the bar C vertically in order that the device may be used in connection with buckets having different sized bails a, I usually provide said bar with vertical slots c, through which extend the retaining-screws 0 By loosening these screws it will be seen that the bar maybe adjusted vertically, as occasion may require, and may be retained at the proper adjustment by tightening said screws. By vertically moving this bar the point at which the contact with the circuit is made may be regulated without ad- Justing the piece (1 on rod D. I prefer, however, when the bar 0 has been properly ad- 5 usted to adapt it to certain buckets, to regulate the point at which said contact is made by adjusting said piece (1, as hereinbefore explained. I

In order to guard against any possibility of the fioat E not falling with the water in the bucket by reason of the rod D being held in the hole 0 by friction or otherwise, I sometimes provide the rod D below the bar 0 with a flange, d, between which and said bar there is lnterposed a light compressionspring, I, which of course is not sufficiently powerfulto force the float E down into the water. If desired, this flange may be provided with a boss, d, and set-screw d, and thus be vertically adjustable on said rod with relation to the bar 0. (See Fig. 2.)

As shown in Fig. 3, the float E, instead of belng secured to the end of a rod, as D, is attached to the end of a cord, D, which passes up over a pulley, D", to the sides D of whose frame D the circuitwir'es G are connected. On the other end of the cord is the contactplcce d, which comes into contact with the frame D and completes the electric circuit when the water in the bucket evaporates, as clearly seen in said Fig. 3.

The particular advantage of the modified construction just described is that the bucket A may be quickly removed from the hook I) in case of fire, as the cord D, being flexible, will not catch against the side of the bucket, as the rigid rod would be apt to do. In order, however, to obviate this defect in the device wherein the rod is employed,I make said rod elastic, whereby it will yield to a lateral pull when the bucket is unhooked. In lieu of thus making the rod elastic, the hole 0 may be elongated, which will effect the same result.

Obviously the invention may be variously modified without departing from the essential principle thereof. I would state, however, that I am aware of the fact that there have been described for steam-boilers and like vesother, as is the case with myinvention, which removable feature is obviously essential in a fire-bucket low-water alarm of the character described. I would also state, in thisconnection, that I believe to be broadly new the combination of an attachable and detachable firebucket and electric sounding devices operating therewith, as hereinbefore set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I clam as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a rigid bracket or bail-support, the guide-bar, and a normallybroken electric circuit connected therewith P the float, the elastic rod extending th er rom and passingth rough said guide-bar, the contactpiece attached thereto, and the alarm-bell in said broken circuit, substantially as described.

2. In a fire-bucket low-water alarm, the combination, with the rigid bracket or bailsupport, the guide-bar below said bracket, a normally-broken electric circuit connected therewith, and an alarm in said broken circuit, of afloat, a rod extending therefrom and passing through said guide-bar, and an adjustable contact-piece on said rod, substantially as described.

3. In a fire'bucket low-water alarm, the combination, with a rigid bucket-support, of a broken circuit having two stationary contactpoints in close relation to each other and to the bucket-support, a float, a movable contactpiece adapted to engage said contact-points, a connection between said float and said mov able contactpiece, and a guide for said connection, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 26th day of October, A. D.

JOHN NOLAN.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS S. BROWN, JOSHUA PUsEY. 

